In December 2025, ITENZ member, EcoQuest celebrated 25 years of connecting learners and communities through environmental education and research. More than 150 people from New Zealand and the U.S. came together over two days to celebrate this milestone and to share its vision for the future. The celebration included presentations by EcoQuest staff and guest speakers as well as community workshops and practical demonstrations of research and creativity.
Since 1999, EcoQuest has welcomed 1,260 undergraduate students from 90 U.S. universities to its programmes in Aotearoa New Zealand. At the heart of this success is a long-standing partnership with the University of New Hampshire (UNH), which has helped create opportunities for students to learn about ecology, restoration, sustainability, and environmental policy in a hands-on, community-based setting.
The anniversary event brought together current staff and students, alumni, former EcoQuest staff, faculty from UNH, collaborators and partners from across New Zealand, as well as the local community. EcoQuest Co-founder and Academic Director Ria Brejaart spoke at the celebration, paying tribute to important global and local partnerships. “Many people both here in Aotearoa and the US were critical in making EcoQuest a reality and a success. EcoQuest’s programmes would not remotely be the same without support from the local community and iwi, Ngāti Paoa and Ngāti Whanaunga and wider networks and contributors throughout New Zealand,” Ria said.
The event was an extraordinary time of remembering and honouring those who founded the organisation all those years ago and the many who have contributed to this vibrant learning community over the years.
During the COVID border shutdown, EcoQuest began to reset its vision, and in 2023, the EcoQuest Education Foundation evolved into the EcoQuest Centre for Indigeneity, Ecology, and Creativity, guided by Dr Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, Chair of the EcoQuest Board and current Director. The Centre aims to grow as an intercultural learning community, expanding opportunities for both international and domestic learners.
The new themes of indigeneity and creativity, positioned alongside ecology, were discussed and celebrated in the event. Highlights included demonstrations of aspects of the whare tapere (tangata whenua ‘houses’ of storytelling, dance, music, games, puppetry and other entertainments) led by Wiremu Sarich and James Webster. The theme of creativity was addressed by guest speaker Prof Welby Ings of Auckland University of Technology whose book and TEDx presentation called Disobedient Teaching is a must for those interested in creativity and education.
Finally, EcoQuest was honoured to host evening speaker and national treasure Dame Anne Salmond who offered insights and ideas on the theme of indigeneity – both as a worldview and philosophy and also its role in contemporary political discourse. “Dame Anne’s wisdom, intelligence and warmth shone through her presentation and the whole event pointed to an exciting future for EcoQuest” Charles Royal said.
